This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one.
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Can a village specialised in shark fishing have lessons for India’s fisheries?
Fishermen in Thoothoor in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu have a long history of targeted shark fisheries. They believe their practices hold the key to sustainable management.
On the frontline of disasters, mangroves at the receiving end of development
Mangrove forests, nature’s buffer against disasters, are imperiled by unregulated coastal development, shrinking of deltas and climate change linked extreme events.
As the Brahmaputra swells, erosion-affected families await revised policy
The Brahmaputra and its tributaries have eroded away more than 4.27 lakh hectares of land since 1950, which is 7.40 percent of the area of the state.
Gangetic dolphins struggle to communicate as their underwater homes get noisy
Under sustained noise pollution, the dolphins don’t seem to alter their calls much compared to baseline levels, the researchers found.
Going back to the roots with natural farming
The Budget speech of 2019-2020 saw a thrust on Zero Budget Natural Farming, which involves elimination of chemical pesticides, sustaining agriculture with eco-friendly processes, and restoring soil fertility.
India’s Tiger Reserves are browning and drying
A vegetation assessment of India’s tiger reserves suggests that the elevated protection status of reserves alone is insufficient in preserving the vegetation conditions.
Without substantial progress thermal power plants get environment clearance extension
An expert panel has granted a three-year extension to the environment clearance of two thermal plant projects, despite both not meeting the criteria of substantial progress.
Earth’s wrath went easy on human lives in 2016 compared to earlier years
Lightning, heat/sunstroke and exposure to cold are responsible for more than 60 percent of the total deaths attributable to forces of nature in 2016 in India.
[Commentary] Wastewater management and water for all
India’s Swachh Bharat Mission’s success has to be followed up with concerted action to maximise reuse, recycle and recover resources from wastewater.
Zero budget natural farming is not a one-size fits all solution
ZBNF requires a re-assessment and questions remain about whether it can be a replicable solution, writes Vaishnavi Rathore of The Bastion, in this commentary.
